A spell of cool, overcast and almost windless weather in Germany has reduced solar and wind power generation to less than half the normal level, and sent the wholesale price of electricity from 13 to 300 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh) in just a few days, reports Berliner Zeitung.
This phenomenon, known as Dunkelflaute in German, means that, given Germany’s current energy mix, the supply of electricity is falling whilst demand is rising.
The loss of ‘renewable’ energy means that gas-fired power stations – which are an indispensable backup – have to produce more.
The problem is that gas prices are also high: for the first time since shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the price of gas has exceeded 100 euros per megawatt-hour.
From the turn of the year, it will also be prohibited to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia into the EU.
Electricity prices in Europe also affect Norway, given that our country is linked to Germany and the UK by undersea power cables and Norway is an integral part of the EU’s energy market.
This means that Norwegian electricity prices are also set to rise sharply.
